Jesus had fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy by riding into Jerusalem on a donkey presenting Himself as King (Zechariah 9:9). Tragically, the leaders of the people rejected this offer. The people followed their lead by changing their shout of “Hosanna” into cries of “Crucify Him” in just a few short days. Before Jesus retired with His disciples to a period of conference (chapters 13-17), John recorded a transitional passage that summarized qualities of unbelief and Jesus’ summary of what true belief looks like.
Qualities of Unbelief, vv. 37-43
Qualities of Belief, vv. 44-50
Believing or not believing is not just an intellectual exercise. It is the difference between heaven and hell.